Lions Ink Gunner Don Carey to a One-Year Deal

Two months after signing Sam Martin to a four-year contract extension, the Lions inked gunner Don Carey to a one-year extension this week, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The deal, which includes a $375,000 signing bonus and $975,000 base salary, will keep Carey in Detroit through at least the 2017 season.

Under general manager Bob Quinn, the Lions have placed a high emphasis on special teams.

They made Johnson Bademosi one of their first signings in free agency last year — Bademosi and Carey form one of the NFL’s best coverage duos — and they made Martin one of the highest-paid punters in the NFL.

Martin leads the league with a 45.4-yard net average.

“We have consistent players across the board on the interior, and then we have some outstanding players on the edge like Bademosi and Don, who make it easier for guys like us to be consistent,” linebacker Brandon Copeland, another core special teams player, said of why the Lions’ punting unit has been so good this year. “Obviously, to me, special teams is very important, so I call that guy right there, Don Carey, a star, in my book.”

Carey, 29, has a team-high seven special teams tackles this year and also has played a handful of snaps as a nickel cornerback.